The Ties that Bind
by fairywings81
Summary: Carla Baker finds out her father is involved with the Black Ghost Organization,and befriends the 00 team.CHAPTER FOURTEEN IS UP
1. Chapter One

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Chapter One

Carla Baker was three years old when her father and mother split up. Neither one of her parents were capable of taking care of her on their own, so the girl was sent to the city foster home. She made a lot of friends within the first three years of her life at the home. This wouldn't matter in the long run. Just three years into her time, her father returned for her. She didn't realize it at the time, but her father's way of "adopting" her was illegal. He hadn't signed papers or anything of the sort. Just picked her up, and left. It didn't matter to her then. All she knew was that she was with her daddy again, and no one would separate them ever. 

They moved to a remote area of Antigua. The house her father had gotten for them was large, and spacious. For a while, Carla was afraid to go anywhere alone, scared of getting lost. She soon got over it, when, after only a few weeks, her father claimed he had to leave her to go on a business trip. She was left with only the house servants, and the promise of his return. That was when Carla realized she was destined to look after herself. She decided, though she wasn't old enough to be aware, that she would never depend on anyone again. 

That was five years ago. Now she was eleven, and in fifth grade at Barton Academy for Science and Technology. It was a boarding school. She sat at her desk now, staring down at her faded "notes" on the shells she'd found on the beach when she four. She'd always had a passion for science, just like her father. Her classes at the school were starting to burn her out, so thinking about the simpler days were a lot less straining. Her best friend Melissa came to her side, and sat on the corner of her desk. "Hey,Lissa." 

"Hey. You've been moping for a month. What's wrong?" 

"I just wish my father was around more often. He's been away on some top secret experimental thing for months." 

"Has he written to you?" Melissa tilted her head.

"No. That's the odd thing. He won't write me." Carla put her head on her desk, with a long sigh. "I don't want to be here anymore,Melissa. I don't…I mean, I'm not into this anymore. It was different when Daddy was around all the time. Now..it's meaningless to me." 

"So, quit. Just make sure you give me your phone number in Antigua." Melissa smiled reassuringly. "You can afford to quit. My father would go mental if I did." 

"I'm sorry,Mel…." 

"Don't be. My Mama always told me that when your passion is no longer fun, it's time for a new one. You'll find one, or find something to rekindle your old fire for science. That's how I see it." 

Carla nodded, and then looked up at the clock on the wall. "Well, we should get ready for lunch. It's going to be our last lunch together." 

"Are you….just gonna leave? How do you know where to find him?" 

"I don't. But I have to try anything." 

"What if he's working for the government? It could be some diabolical scheme to take over the planet!" 

"Lissa!" The younger girl cracked up. "You've got a seriously overactive imagination! I doubt Daddy would do anything illegal." Carla sat down, and waited for them to be served. 

"It could SO happen. It happens in movies all the time." Melissa sat across from her. 

"That's the movies." Carla regarded Melissa seriously. "Seriously, I am a little nervous." 

"Don't go…" Melissa began, just as their food arrived. 

"I have to go." Carla speared a piece of chicken on to her plate. "I have to know, Melissa. I want to know what my father finds more important than me." She pushed her plate aside, and headed back to her room. She locked her door, and looked out at the darkening streets, before pulling out her already packed duffel bag. "I'm sorry, Lissa…." She slipped out her window, and climbed down the trellis. 

"I won't do it. I swore to her mother I would keep her out of this!" Stephen Baker looked at Dr. Morris, his partner. "Carla is my daughter, not a test subject!" 

"We both know she's not really your daughter,Steve. You kidnapped her,from the orphanage. Her real parents died in a house fire after she was born." 

"Yes, that's how it began,but I love her. She's all I have left,and I will not let you do this!" 

"You fool! Your loyalty was to the Black Ghost Organization, not some child you weren't meant to keep!" Dr. Morris looked up at his partner. "You will bring her here as soon as you can." 

"No! I will not. You can do what you will, but I will not turn my daughter into one of your experimental cyborgs!" 

"Fine. As you wish." Dr. Morris walked over to the intercom. "I need security here to show Dr. Baker to his new "office". " 

"What?! What are you doing?!" Stephen gaped at his former partner. 

"Thanks to her countless letters, we know where Carla is. We don't need you anymore." 

"Letters? What letters?" Stephen began to understand. Carla's letters had been withheld from him. "You…you traitor!" 

"Actually, you're the traitor, and now your so-called daughter will suffer for it." The security guard took Baker away before he could say another word. 

"001, there's activity on the island." 003 looked at the baby. "A new human." 

"Really? What are they like?" 

"I'm not sure. I guess we'll have to wait and see…..009 went to check on it." 

"They could be working for Black Ghost…" 004 put in as he entered.

"I don't think so. 007 said the human was a child." 003 responded. "But she could be in trouble."

"You're right….we'll just have to wait until 009 returns with some news. " 


	2. Chapter Two

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Chapter Two

Carla was in the mountains. She was very cold, and wet, having swam in a raging river. Now she climbed around the snowy mountains, with nothing. Her pack had sunk down into the riverbed. As she trudged on, she wondered why on earth she'd thought her father would be in the mountains. Night was falling as her body gave way to numbness. It was about then that Carla realized her mistake. She'd lost her map, and all her supplies. She sank to her knees, with a soft sigh, that sounded more like a despairing sob. If her father was around, he'd more than likely find her dead of hypothermia. With that thought, the young girl laid her head down on her two hands, against the cold ground, and just waited. 

009 had been walking around, listening to the directions from his team, and looking for the young girl for a long time, when something small caught his eye. "Hey, I think I've found her. Whoa, she is little." 

"Don't startle her. What is she doing?" 003 sounded every bit as maternal as 009 imagined she would be. 

"She's sleeping think. Oh my…. Without coverings or anything!" He raced up ahead towards the girl's camp. "What should I do?" 

"First make sure she's still alive. Then bring her back here." 004 replied on the radio. "003 thinks Black Ghost might be looking for her." 

"Right. Okay. 009 out." He turned his attention to the girl on the ground at his feet. "What were you thinking, girl, coming out in this place alone?" He checked for a pulse from her, and when he found a faint one, he scooped her up. "It's going to be okay.my friends and I will take care of you. I promise." He turned around, and headed back to their compound. The quicker he got her to warmth, the better. "Acceleration mode." With that, he became a blur, carrying the girl with him. 

"Oh my goodness! I know her face…." 004 exclaimed, as he helped 006 make a heating pad for the child. 

"Really? Who is she?" The fire-producing chef questioned. 

"She's the child of a Black Ghost member." 004 replied. "Her father was one of the ones who held me captive last time we were attacked. He showed me a picture of her." 

"Oh boy…. Things just got interesting, didn't they? Why would he let his own daughter out without any kind of protection against the cold?" 006 put the warm pad against the girl's cold skin. 

"Maybe he didn't. We'll have to wait until she wakes up to find out for sure." 004 said softly. "I can't imagine him doing anything of the sort. He talked of her as if she was his whole world." 

"Hmm…. Well I should go make sure there's food enough for her to join us at dinner. Are you going to stay here until she awakens?" The chef turned around in the doorway, staring at 004.

"No. I think she needs to be left be. I'm sure one of us will be checking on her every so often. " 004 walked out of the bedroom, and closed the door softly behind him. 

It seemed like hours before Carla's eyes fluttered open. She tried to move, but realized there was something warm on her side. "Mmm…" She looked around the strange room nervously. Where was she? How had she gotten there? "H-hello…. Is anyone there?" She called towards the cracked door. "I'd really like to leave now…." 

"You're in no condition to be going anywhere." She heard suddenly. She looked around for the person the voice belonged to. 

"Who's there? Where are you?"

"Look up. I'm above you." The voice replied. 

Carla looked up, and saw a basket floating, with a baby looking out over its edge. "Uh…."

"Don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you. " The basket settle on the edge of the bed, as the baby seemed to study the girl. "What's your name?" 

"Carla Baker. Who are you? What is this place?" 

"I'm 001. This is the mansion of Professor Kazumi. My fellow teammates and I found you unconscious in the snow about ten miles from here." 

"Oh! I must've passed out from the cold…." Carla felt herself shaking still, although she knew well it was not cold that caused it. "001…. That can't be your real name…who would name their child 001?" 

"Well, the thing is, I'm only an infant in some respects. But I won't bore you with that right now. I'd come to see if you were awake, and if you wanted some food." 

Carla was starving. How long had it been since her fall into the river? She didn't know. She stared at the peculiar baby, and nodded. "I'm very hungry…." 

"Do you need help to stand? My friend 005 would be glad to help you." 

"005? Don't you people have real names?" Carla was beginning to feel a little uneasy with all the numbers. 

"We did have real names, once." A new, female voice replied. "We'll explain everything after dinner. Won't you come and join us?"

"What's your name?" Carla stared at the girl with blonde hair. 

"I'm 003. It was 001 who detected you first." She helped Carla out of bed. "I put you into one of my nightgowns. It's a little big, but it should do for now." 

"I…. Thank you, 003. What happened to my old clothes?" Carla crawled out of the bed slowly. 

"They were soaked. 004 put them into the dryer. They should be done soon enough." 003 smiled pleasantly. "Come on. Dinner's about done." She led the way to the dining room. 


	3. Chapter Three

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Chapter Three

The others in the dining room with warm smiles greeted Carla. She looked around silently, smiling back a little. "Hi…thank you for rescuing me…" 

"It was no trouble at all, young one." 004 nodded. "We are honored to have you join us for dinner." 

"I am honored to share it with you." Carla returned politely, as an orange haired boy pulled out her chair. "Thank you,Sir."

"It's 002." After that, the rest of the people in the room introduced themselves. Each of them had a different number. 

"I'm Carla Baker. I'm pleased to meet you all." She looked around at all of them, her mind whirling. They only knew each other as numbers. Why didn't they have names?

"You are wondering why we call each other by numbers instead of names. Aren't you?" 001 spoke up suddenly. "Well,I will tell you. We are cyborgs. Some of us are much older than we look." 

"Cyborgs?" Something clicked in her memory. Her father had spent a great amount of time on human anatomy. Carla figured he was just trying to learn it better in order to take care of her. Then, he'd brought home books on robotics. She remembered asking him what he needed them for, and not getting a decent answer. "I…I think I know about cyborgs…" 

"Oh? What do you know about them?" 004 was looking at her carefully. He was certain she was a spy for Black Ghost. He didn't trust a lot of people. 

Carla stared back, nervously. "Well….my father is a scientist.." 

"Here now, let's not ruin a perfectly good meal with a lot of talk…" The cyborg known as 006 spoke up. "There'll be time enough for talking." 

004 gave him a stern look. "Fine."

She ate the food set in front of her. "This is pretty good…." 

"Why thank you. I'm glad somebody likes it." 006 beamed at her. 

"Don't lie to him, Carla. He's used to being insulted, really. 009 joked. 

"No, really. It's better than my cook's cooking." 

After the meal, Carla was invited to sit with them in the parlor, while she told them how she ended up in Japan. "I'm searching for my father,Steven Baker. He left Antigua a few months ago, and hasn't been home since. I know he said he would be here in Japan, but I don't know where or why." 

"Stephen Baker, hmm? Carla, did you father ever mention anything about an organization called Black Ghost?" 004 asked softly. He'd been wrong to assume this child had anything to do with such an operation. 

"N-no…why?" Carla looked at the cyborg now. "Why would he?" 

"I'm sorry to inform you, but your father is working for some really bad people." 004 announced, as he began to pace. "Having you here with us is very dangerous." 

"What are you talking about? My father's not bad!" Carla burst out angrily. He's a scientist!" 

"Perhaps. But do you know he tried to kill me?" 004 told her. "He may not be bad intentionally, but he is." 

"I don't believe you! You're lying!" Carla excxlaimed. "My father wouldn't hurt anyone!" 

"Sit down, Carla. 004 isn't really explaining himself very well,is he?" 003 spoke up now. "What he means is that your father is working for Black Ghost, the people who made us. He may or may not realize what he's doing is illegal." 

"I…I don't know what to say…." The child looked at the floor. "Now I know why he didn't tell me."

"It's not your fault,Child. You have no control over what your father does." Dr. Gilmore spoke up. " But now that you do know, you're in danger as well. Stay with us, and I promise you, everything will be fine. We've enough room to take on another member." 

"What?! Weren't you listening?! Her father works for Black Ghost! They're on our tail enough, without giving them a real reason!" 002 exploded suddenly. 

"Enough!" Came the voice of the baby cyborg. "She is in a great amount of danger if her father is part of Black Ghost. Don't you guys find it odd that the other scientists in the organization have no children?" 

"001 is right. This Baker guy is the only one with a child. This makes her easy prey." 009 agreed, putting a hand on Carla's shoulder. "I vote we keep her here with us, and take care of her like our own. It'll be like having a little sister or something." 

"Or a big sister, in my case." 001 chimed in, as 003 put him in the new girl's lap.

Carla caressed 001 lovingly, as he gripped her finger protectively. "I….Thank you…all of you." She looked down at 001. "So…DO you all have names, or is it you can't remember?" 

"We have names. It's just, we were introduced to each other by numbers." 008 replied. "If it bothers you so, we can go back to calling each other by name. My name is Puynma."

"I'm Joe."

"Chang." 

They all went around introducing themselves. 001 was the last to speak. "I'm Ivan." He studied his newfound big sister silently. "Don't worry. I may look like a baby, but I'm strong in other ways." He told her after a minute. 

Just then, the clock on the wall struck eleven. "Oh goodness. It's getting late. Let's get you to bed, Carla. Is the room we gave you suitable?" Dr. Gilmore inquired. 

"It's perfect,Dr. Gilmore. Thank you." She stood up, and started to hand Ivan back to the girl called Francoise.

"Wait a minute, Carla. I think I'll stay with you tonight. Just put me in my basket, so I can sleep. I may or may not wake up for fifteen days though." 

"Fifteen? I know infants sleep a lot, but isn't that a little much?" Carla was surprised at how easily talking to the baby cyborg was. 

"It's so I can regain my psychic strength. I can sleep less,or more. It depends on how much energy I use." Ivan explained, as he was tucked into his basket. "All I'm going to need to do is get a bottle before I sleep." 

"I'll do that, if you want me to, Carla." Francoise offered kindly. 

"Just this once. I'm a little too tired for that tonight. I'll leave my door open. He can just levitate in when he's ready." She yawned, as the two cyborgs followed her into her room. "Good night,Francoise and Ivan." 


	4. Chapter Four

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Chapter Four

"What do you mean you lost her?!" The commander glared at his partners. "She's at that school!" 

"We went to the school,sir. The little brat has run away. They've got the police looking for her as well." 

"Oh that's just wonderful! Wait a minute. Does Dr. Baker have a cell phone? She might try to call him. Return his phone to him. We'll just have to wait until she tries again." 

"Yes sir." The two men left to follow his orders. 

"I don't believe this. How hard is it to track down one little girl?! She couldn't have made it so far already." The leader sighed deeply. That child would prove to be a valuable cyborg indeed, with her premonitions. He mused silently. She could tell them where the other cyborgs were. "Oh well…" He stood up,and left for the main part of the base. There were other things that needed taken care of besides a runaway child. 

"You're a quick learner! No one's ever beaten me at chess that quickly!" Professor Kasumi exclaimed enthusiastically. 

Carla blushed deeply. "I've been playing since I was six. My father taught me. This is the first time I've played anyone for a long time." 

"Well, it was my pleasure, Carla. I hope to challenge you again really soon." Kasumi smiled as he got up to leave the room. "004 is outside, if you want to go see what he's up to. No one said you had to stay indoors, you know."

"I know,Professor…it's just….I don't really fit in here." 

"Does anyone ever fit anywhere? Carla, the group wants you to belong. It could be a long time before you return to your normal life. You should think well on their offer to care for you." 

"I will. Just now though, I think I will rest in my room. I'm a little tired." Carla passed Kasumi in the doorway, and went into her room. Once she was in her bed, alone, she began to cry,and couldn't stop. Things weren't that bad with the cyborgs. They were all very kind to her,especially Francoise and Joe. Baby Ivan was like the baby brother she'd never had. It wasn't the cyborgs at all, she realized. It was homesickness. She missed her friends at the academy, and her lessons. Most of all, Carla wanted the comfort of her father's arms. She missed him more than anything. She laid there a long time, crying it all out, before finally finding solace in her sleep. 

"She hasn't come out of her room all afternoon? Do you suppose she's sick?" 009 asked. 

"I don't know. I knocked on the door a couple of times,but I didn't get any reply." 002 responded. "I don't think she's very happy here." 

"I know how she's feeling. I was the same way for a very long time after you guys found me." 009 said softly. "Maybe I should go talk to her myself." Without waiting for them to reply, he headed upstairs to see to Carla. 

As he left, 002 looked at his friends. "This was a mistake. We can't possibly expect to keep her cooped up here with all of us. Maybe one of us should take her shopping or something." 

"Good idea,002. 001 and I can take her tonight. It's a beautiful night for boardwalk shopping." 003 commented. 

"Me? Do I look old enough to shop?" The baby cyborg piped up. "No, I think you and 009 should go. Make sure you take your guns with you." 

"Good plan. I'll tell 009 once he comes downstairs again. I hope he can get through to her…" 

"This isn't easy on her. There are lots of reasons for keeping her with us. The most obvious is to keep her out of Black Ghost's reach. The other important reason is children have a tendency to talk too much. If our whereabouts were discovered…" 

"I don't think she'd rat us out,Professor. She's become very fond of us, whether she wants to admit or not. " 004 said slowly. What he was really meaning to say was that he himself has become too fond of the girl. He was sure he was not the only one though. "She's only been with us a couple of days. Maybe this will all smooth out." He continued. 

"Perhaps you're right,004. You must remember though. We are not her fathers. I can tell by the way that she spoke of him her first night here that she is very close to him. That could be a lot of the problem." The Professor looked down at 001. "Do you have any ideas?"

"If we could get her to open up to us a little more it would be easier. That will come with time, I expect. She seems to really like 009 though. He could be a big help." 

"I think so too. Well, all we can do right now is wait." Professor Gilmore looked towards the stairs. 

At Carla's door, 009 had been knocking for a while. "Carla, come on. Let me in." 

"Go away!" 

"Don't make me force this door open. Just open up so we can talk." 009 insisted desperately. This girl was almost worse than he'd been. 

After a couple more minutes of silence, the door opened, revealing a red-eyed, tear stained Carla. She ran into 009's arms. "I'm sorry,Joe. I just….I don't know." 

"Hey now…it's okay." 009 held her tightly, then led her back into the room. "I know how you feel, Carla. I really do. When I was first brought here, I felt really strange, and out of place. Almost angry. What I had to decide was who or what I was angry at. " 

The girl looked up at him. "Did you ever figure it out for sure?" 

"Yeah. It was Black Ghost. They killed the only person I ever considered a father. Then they did this to me. What about you? What are you angry about?" 

"My father. I can't believe he would participate in anything so cruel!"

"Anything in particular?" 009 sat on the bed,and pulled her into his lap. 

"Don't tell them downstairs…but…last night, I had a very strange dream. It was about my father and me. But the man in the dream didn't look like my father at all." 

"Really?" 009 looked down at her. "What happened?" 

"We were playing at the park. Then we were in my house…at least,I think it was my house. It wasn't as big as the manor in Antigua. My mother and him were fighting, then a black coat woman came and took me away from them. " 

"That is some dream. How old were you?" 009 asked softly. He had a feeling he'd be talking to 001 about this later. 

"I don't know. I was little though." She laid her head on 009's chest as she cried softly. 

"Come on now…I know it was probably a little disturbing, but it's over now. The others are worried about you. Don't you want to let them know you're okay?" 

"Yeah…. I guess so." She got off of his lap, and went to the bathroom to clean up.

"I'll meet you downstairs, Carla. Okay?" 009 called as he headed downstairs. 

"Okay." 

"It certainly took you long enough to come back. Is the young one alright?" 006 asked as soon as 009 reappeared in the parlor. 

"She will be, I think. She's got a lot of anger and frustration towards her father right now. 001, I'll need to talk to you later." 

"Okay. Hey, are you up for a trip to the boardwalk? 003 was thinking about taking Carla on a little shopping trip to ease her discomfort." 

"That's a wonderful idea. We can take the submarine to shore. I'll bet Carla will love that." 

"Just keep your eyes and ears open. Okay?" 004 advised cautiously. "We don't want anything to happen to her or you two." 

"Of course." 

Just then, Carla appeared in the doorway. "Did someone say shopping? I still have my father's card…."

"Well, we won't be needing that. We've got our own cards. It's our treat." 003 told her. "So let's go." Before Carla could object the two cyborgs grabbed her, and led her out of the compound. 


	5. Chapter Five

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Chapter Five

The trip to the boardwalk was a big change for Carla. It was very crowded. She was put between Francoise and Joe, for safekeeping, but that was only a minor inconvenience for her. The two older cyborgs were good company for her though. The first stop they made was to a clothing shop. Since Carla had lost her pack in the river, all of her pretty clothing had also been lost. "I need new clothes. I can't imagine wearing the same outfit for the duration of my stay." 

"I agree with you. I know a great place for bargain shopping." Francoise led them down the row of shops. "Ah. Here we go." 

"Do I have to..? This really isn't my thing…" Joe started. 

"Come on, Joe. It'll be fun!" Francoise pulled him inside. 

"She hasn't attempted contact. Maybe she's dead. We found this in the river close by." The black clothed man held up Carla's satchel so that Stephen Baker and his captor could see it. 

"Carla…. No……" Dr. Baker shook his head in disbelief. "She's not dead! She's not!" 

"Then call her,Dr. Baker. Have her meet you somewhere. The location where this pack was found was not far from this base." 

"Never! I will not let you capture her!" 

"Either you call her, or I will. I have a voice manipulator, so it will not be that hard for me to imitate you." 

"You…you Monster! Leave her alone!" In his own thoughts, he thought it would be better if Carla was dead. At least then she wouldn't have to be a victim of Black Ghost's cruelty. 

"Call. Now."

There was a cold metal barrel at his head now. "Okay…okay…" He pulled out his cellphone, and with shaking fingers, fumbled to dial his daughter's number. Please,don't pick up,Carla. Please. He begged silently, as he listened to the sound of the phone ringing. 

"That looks really cute on you, Carla. Don't you think so, Joe?" Francoise nudged 009 who was dozing. "Doesn't it?" 

"Oh yeah. It's looks very nice." Joe replied sincerely. 

"I'll take it." Carla went back into the fitting room for the last time, and removed the blue sailor dress. She put on the laced dress she'd bought and tied her hair back, before emerging once more. "I think we're done here." She picked up the thirteen outfits her two friends had picked out for her. 

"It's about time. Are you hungry? We could grab a bite to eat." Offered Joe. 

"Sure. I could go for some non-organic food. Not that I hate Chang's cooking. " 

"Don't feel too bad. We don't always like it either." Francoise assured her. "There's a great restaurant down the block from here. Let's see if it's open." 

Once again, the three friends found themselves in the street, walking. As they were getting to the doors,Carla heard her cell phone ring. That's strange, she thought. No one knows my number but one person. She took her phone out, and checked the caller identification. It was her father's number. She looked over at Joe and Francoise, who were trying to get them into the restaurant. As the phone continued to ring, Carla began to worry. Why was her father just now contacting her? Was he in trouble or something? She gave in, and answered. "This is Carla…" 

"Carla….you're alive…" Stephen's voice sounded ragged, and full of sorrow. 

"Daddy? What's going on? Where are you?" Carla demanded,trying to keep the fear out of her voice. She looked over her shoulder at her two guardians. 

"Baby,listen to me, okay? I need you to meet me in the shopping center. Do you know where that is? Be there tomorrow at sunset." 

"But why? Are we in trouble?" She was trying hard to fight off the angry tears she felt welling up in her eyes. 

"No. I want to show you this neat little dance studio I found. Just meet me,okay?" The line went dead then,and Carla hung up slowly. 

"That was weird…" She muttered, as she returned to Joe and Francoise.

"Is everything alright,Carla? You look very pale." Joe stared at her concerned. 

"My….my father called." She said slowly. 

"He did? When?" Joe's gaze darted around the streets, then he looked at Francoise. "We better skip dinner. She needs to get home." 

"I think you're right. Come on." Francoise put her hand in Carla's gently,but firmly. 

"But….I have to meet him tomorrow night." 

"Not alone you won't." Joe informed her firmly. "I was afraid this was going to happen." The two cyborgs led their charge back to the dock with the submarine. 

"You can't keep me away from my father!" Carla raged angrily. "That would be kidnapping." 

Joe looked at Francoise helplessly. What was he supposed to say to that? The child was right. He _was_ her father. 

"We've no intention of keeping you away from your father,Sweetheart. Joe just wants to make sure nothing happens to you. " Francoise soothed gently,as Joe pulled the submarine under, towards the compound. "Your father might be being forced into giving you over to them." 

"It doesn't make spying on us right." Carla said slowly.

"No, that's true. But it really is for the best." Joe answered. "Buckle up." 

"She told you all of this on her own?" 001 asked 009 slowly. 

"Yeah." It was late that night, when 009 remembered the weird dream Carla had told him about. Luckily,001 was still awake. "It is a little suspicious, don't you think?" 

"I agree. But we can't stop her from meeting the man she thinks is her father. For all we know, it could've been nothing but a dream. However, I do suggest that you,004,006 and 007 go with her, and hide,in case our worst fears are confirmed." 

"Sounds like a plan. But I think it would be better if the others went on ahead of us. Carla's not too happy that I'm insisting on chaperoning to begin with." 

"Alright. I'll inform them. Is Carla in bed already?" 001 shifted a little in his basket. 

"Yeah. 003 put her to bed earlier. I get the feeling 003 likes playing her mother, you know?" 

"What about you playing Daddy?" 001 teased. "You like playing that role too." 

"Nah. I'm more of an older brother type. Carla will never think of us more than that." 009 replied, as he started to walk of the room.

"Hey…take me to her room. I want to watch over her." 001 requested. "Poor thing's had such a long, trying day. She's bound to have more dreams." 

So,with a light heart, 009 walked Baby Ivan to Carla's room, and set his basket on her bed. "Good night,001. Sleep well." He closed the door to Carla's room, and went to brief the others on the next day's events. 


	6. Chapter Six

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Chapter Six

The next day seemed to drag on for Carla. She was anxious about seeing her father after so many months. She had dressed in her blue sailor dress, to Joe and Francoise's delight. There was a lot for her to do. For instance, Chang was teaching her how to stir-fry. Then there was Gj, their resident spiritualist. He was trying to teach her how to meditate, which Carla kept insisting was pointless. What she didn't realize was they were trying to prepare her for being a part of their family. No one had told Carla, but the cyborgs had decided to take her in as their own. 

As she sat at the dining room table, putting a puzzle together, Carla thought about all that she would say to her father. She would first hug him, and tell him she loved him. Then she would tell him how wrong he was for working with Black Ghost and putting her in danger. Yeah, that would do it for her. Then she would ask is he would go home with her. As much as she loved the cyborgs now, she couldn't see herself living with them forever. She still had her science career ahead of her. 

"Carla, did you hear me?" Chang's voice broke into her thoughts. 

"No, I'm sorry. I wasn't listening." 

"It's alright. 00-I mean Pyunma, GB, and Jet are going into town for a while. Joe and Francoise are going with you to meet your father." 

"I really don't see why they want to. It's just my father, Chang. He won't hurt me." 

"Yes, I know. But he might not be alone. Joe and Francoise will call you when it's time. I'm going to the store. We're out of seaweed." Chang left before Carla could argue further. 

I don't need them to come with me! Carla thought angrily, as she pieced together more of the border. I'm not a child! I can take care of myself! The angry mood lasted the rest of the afternoon, until just before sunset. That's when Joe called her into the parlor. "Yes?" 

"Sit down, Carla. I want to talk to you about something really serious." 

"What is it, Joe?" She thought she might know what he going to say, but she wasn't sure.

"I talked to Ivan late last night about your dream. " 

"What? I thought you said you wouldn't say anything!" Carla glared at Joe. 

"The more I thought about it, the more it sounded more like regressed memories. So I asked him about it. Ivan thinks what you had was a prophetic dream, that showed you something that perhaps you weren't meant to see." 

"You mean…the man in the dream was my real father? Then…who was it on the phone last night?" 

"We don't know. I want you to use extreme caution tonight,okay? It could be a trap." 

"Okay, Joe." She stood up, and put on the coat that Francoise had altered for her. "Can we leave now?" 

"Yeah. 003's warming up the sub." He put an arm around her shoulder, and led the way. 

"Joe? I just wanted to say thank you, for everything. I know it can't be easy for you guys to be looking after me like this." 

"It's not a problem at all. You make Professor Gilmore feel young again, and Kasumi too." Joe grinned. 

"And Ivan looks to me as a sister. He had me changing his diapers last night." She giggled. 

"Yeah…he may not act like a baby ,but he is definitely a baby in a lot of respects." Joe remarked, as he helped Carla into the sub. "Alright. We're ready,003. Take us down." Joe settled in front of the navigational device, and looked at Carla. "I hope things are as you hoped they would be." 

The girl merely nodded,lost in her own thoughts, and fears. 

When Carla stepped out of the submarine, Joe pulled her back. "Take it easy,Sweetie. Let me and Francoise go first. We don't want you to get hurt." 

"Look, I played along long enough. Let me do this alone!" Carla yanked away from Joe, and ran.

"Carla! Wait!" 009 sighed, and looked at 003. "This isn't good…." 

"You're right. I have a very bad feeling about this." She went back into the sub. "We've got the others on the look out, but it might not be enough." 

"Stupid child! She's going to get herself and us killed!" 009 grumbled. 

"Maybe not…" 003 tried to remain positive. "Besides, children do make mistakes." 

"Yeah….well……" 009 was too upset to say much else. 

Carla stared around the boardwalk, looking for her father. He'd said he'd meet her by the shop with the instruments that night before when he'd called back. She walked down the street, keeping alert. 

"Carla…Carla sweetheart, over here." Her father's voice came from a gray Sedan. 

"Daddy!" She walked right over to the car. "I've been so worried!" 

"Me too, baby,me too. Come on and get in the back. The studio's a couple of miles away from here." 

"Okay." She was about open the door to the back, when a slender man pulled her back. "Hey!"

"Carla, you're supposed to be with your mother." The man winked at her. It was 007. 

"My mother's dead, and I don't know you!" Carla shoved him away, and got in the car. "Creep!" Carla glared at 007 from the window. 

"Carla! No!" 007 knocked on the window, until the car sped off. 

"You're going to love this place, Baby. But it's a long way from here. Why don't you take a nap?" 

Before Carla could respond, she felt a pain that reminded her of a misquito bite, and instantly became very dizzy. "D-daddy…." 

"You'll never see your father again, little girl. You belong to Black Ghost now." 

"Impossible……" That was the last thing Carla said, before falling into darkness. 

"How could you let her go like that,007? What were you thinking?!"

"I was thinking she's supposed to be alone, and if I tried to stop her, we would be found out." 007 responded crisply. "Anyway, 001 can pick up her brain waves. We'll find her." 

"I just hope we're not too late." 009 sighed, as he turned the submarine back towards the compound. "There's no telling how much time we'll have."


	7. Chapter Seven

****

Chapter Seven

Carla awakened in a panicked state. She didn't know where she was, or how long she'd been unconscious. She looked around the dimly lit room, and shuddered. The walls were made of sheer metal. Was she in Black Ghost's base? She stood up shakily, to explore further. The drug she'd been injected with made her stomach hurt. She moaned softly, before she laid back down on the hard cot. 

"Hey. Girl. Get up." The hard voice came from the doorway of the room. 

"W-where am I?" 

"Nevermind your questions." The guard hauled her to her feet, and led her out of the room. They walked down the hall a little ways, and then turned into a laboratory type room. 

"Carla Baker, isn't it?" The tall figure that looked more like a robot than a man stared down at her, his eyes unblinking. 

"Are you…are you Black Ghost?" She stood straighter, trying not look as terrified as she felt. 

"I see my reputation proceeds me. Yes, I am Black Ghost." 

She stiffened. "Where's my father?!" 

"Dead. At least, your real father is. Stephen Baker is not, and never was your father." Black Ghost replied calmly. "You belong to no one but me now." He snapped his fingers, and Carla was taken away again. "Make her comfortable. She's going to be here a while." 

"I've been trying to get through to her all morning. Her mind is still too drugged." 001 lamented. 

"Damn it. I can't believe we lost her so easily!" 002 raged. 

"It's all going to turn out fine. But we don't have much time. We should just go right in and look for her." 004 pointed out. 

The other cyborgs nodded in agreement. Soon, they were scrambling to get their things together on the Dolphin. 003 went about gathering up Carla's new things.

"What are you doing that for?" 002 asked her.

"Because we don't know when we're going to be back here. Once Black Ghost finds out she's with us, what do you think he's going to do?" 

"Arggggh! I knew her staying with us was a bad idea!" 002 scowled. 

"He was bound to find us again anyway." 009 said sharply. "This is not Carla's fault." He took his spot in the Dolphin. "001, once we get closer to the base,try her again." 

"I plan on it. " 001 sounded very concerned. "We have to hurry. Carla's time is very short."

"He's right." 004 nodded. 

"Taking off. Everyone buckle up." The Dolphin took into the air. "I'm going to land a mile away from the base. We won't all be able to go, so who wants to do this?" 009 asked. 

"I'll go." 005 responded.

"Me too." 006 agreed. 

"And Me." 009 concluded. "Good. The rest of you cover us. Remember, we're not coming out without Carla." 

"I should hope not. Maybe six of us should go. Three to get her out, and three of us to patrol for trouble." 002 commented. 

"That's good with me. 001 can keep us on the right track from here." 009 decided, as the base came into sight. "Okay. There's the base. Alright. 004,007 and I will find Carla. 002,you, 005 and 006 keep a look out for trouble."

"Right." The boys got out of the Dolphin. 009 clenched his fists rather angrily. Remodeling him and his friends was one thing. But to try and do it to such a young child! That burned him up. "I'm gonna tear him apart yet!" 

"Calm down, 009. We'll get our revenge. Let's just get Carla out first." 004 put a hand on his friend's shoulder, as he looked up at the base. "Let's do this." 


	8. Chapter Eight

****

Chapter Eight

Stephen Baker looked down at the girl he'd been calling his daughter. They had put her to sleep, in order to assess what could be done with her. Black Ghost's information on the girl was in the folder he held. "Oh Carla, baby…I'm so sorry this had to happen." He turned from her to his partner. "She is asleep. You may proceed."

"Thank you. You are dismissed. " The professor nodded, and turned his back on Baker. "Now then, Carla. Let's see what exactly we can do with you." 

Stephen stepped out of the room, before he let himself cry in grief. Carla was so young, so innocent. How could Black Ghost live with himself? He might not be Carla's natural father, but he loved the girl as his own. "It's not right!" He spoke through clenched teeth, as he walked back to his room. When he walked in, the guards there locked the door. He didn't care. His work was done, as far as he was concerned. They couldn't make him feel much worse than he already felt. He wondered if Carla would ever forgive him for what they were going to do. His worse fear was no. He sighed ,and laid down to sleep. 

001 was trying very hard to get through to Carla. He was having a hard time though. "I can't get a lock on her. It's like her mind's closed to us forever." 

"Keep trying, 001. They won't have time to search the entire base." 

"I know." The infant concentrated harder. ~Come on Carla,answer me!~ 

~001! Where are you?~ Carla's thought wave came back to the baby in the Dolphin.

"I have her! She's in the operating lab. Tell the boys they don't have much time. They're doing analysis." 

"Okay." 003 picked up the radio. "009. We've found her. She in the West quadrant. The operating lab." 

"Gah! Okay,003. We'll have her out in a jiffy!" 009 looked over at his partners. "She's getting ready to join our ranks! She's in the operating lab." 

"Oh no! We don't have room for another girl." 004 replied. He looked over at 007. "I've got an idea. 007, pretend you're a guard, and you can take us into the base like prisoners. Then we'll split up to look for Carla." 

007 nodded slowly. "Alright. That's a good idea." He shifted into the form of one of Black Ghost's minions. "Let's go." He guided 009 and 004 into the base. 

"Halt. What do you think you're doing?" 

"I'm taking these traitorous cyborgs to Black Ghost." 007 replied, shoving them ahead, past the nosy door man. 

"Carry on…." The doorman turned back to his post.

"Good job,007." 009 stood up straighter. Then turned to 004. "So, you've been here before, right?" 

"Yeah. Quadrant Four is upstairs. That way." He pointed ahead of them. 

"Well, let's get going then!" 007 exclaimed. "I couldn't stand the thought of her being hurt!" 

"Make that five of us." 006 replied. "We all feel the same way." The cyborgs split up then. 

"We don't have the parts for that. They won't come in until November." 

"It's September. What are we supposed to do with her until then?" 

"We freeze her. That's all there is to it." Dr. Morris replied. He looked at the rest of his team. "I'll inform Black Ghost. Get the tank ready." 

"Yes sir." They replied in unison, before pulling out an ice tank. 

007 gasped, overhearing this. "Oh no! What happens if they do that to her? She'll die!" 

"We must not let them get that far!" 004 exclaimed. "007 you go in there and stall them. 009 and I will intercept the real guy." 

"Wait. I'm the only fast enough to get her out of here. 004, you keep a look out here." 009 waited while 007 distracted the team of scientists, then entered swiftly,scooping the unconscious Carla up. "Okay,007! Let's go!"

The team stared at 007, gawking, as their commander turned into the bald former actor. "Stop them! They've got the child!" 

"Accelerate!" 009 dodged the laser blasts cuddling Carla in his arms tightly. "Take this!" He shot out sound waves from his gun that knocked the team out. "Take a nap on me!"

"009! Behind you!" 004's warning came from the doorway, just before Dr. Morris tried to grab for Carla. 

"Oh no you don't, buddy!" 002 shot the doctor just in time, having rushed in behind 004. "Go, 009! Get her to safety!" 002 shouted over the chaos that had erupted. 

"Be careful you guys!" 009 was gone a millisecond later. 

"These guys are persistent! Take them all down!" 004 instructed. "Make your way out!" 

"Easier said than done, 004!" 006 retorted, as he set fire to one of the lab tables. 

"Have a rest!" 007 slammed one of the scientists into the wall, knocking him out. "I'm heading out." 

"Go ahead. 005 and I can handle this now." 004 set off one of his knee missiles. The explosion rocked the quadrant. "Come on,005." 

006 and 007 left the room. "What a hassle!" 006 stated. "At least she'll be safe now." 

"I'm afraid she might be in more danger now than before." 002 interrupted. 

"That is true. Just by associating with us." 006 frowned. "I'd gladly give my life for her. She's got hard days ahead of her now." He looked at 007 and 002. "We'll help her adjust, won't we?" 

"Count on it." 002 climbed aboard the Dolphin. "Come on." 

Just before the Dolphin was about to take off, 004 and 005 climbed aboard the giant air craft. "She's safe." 004 declared in satisfaction. 

"For the time being. And she's got a family now. She just doesn't know it yet." 009 replied. He steered the Dolphin away from the base. "Where should we go?"

"Anywhere but here. We'll need time to explain things to her." Dr. Gilmore instructed. 

Meanwhile, 003 was tending to Carla, who was still out cold. "You're home now, Sweetie. With all our strength, we will take care of you." She spoke as though Carla would respond. She couldn't wait to learn more about this young child. But it would take time. "Welcome home, Carla." She sat down, and waited until it would be time to hear Carla's whole story. 

(A/N:And that ends Part One of The Ties That Bind. Part Two to come soon,starting with Chapter 9)


	9. Chapter Nine

(A/N: Chapter Nine starts Part Two of The Ties That Bind. It begins four months after Part One's conclusion)

****

Chapter 9

"I wonder what Carla's doing with herself these days." 007 mused, as he looked at 009. "We haven't heard from her in a while." 

"It's not safe for her to communicate with us,007. It's dangerous enough, having her away at that Science Academy of hers." 009 reminded him. It had been a very difficult choice for all concerned. Carla had been very happy with them for a while. However, not even two months later, she started expressing her need for her old school; her old friends. So, with a heavy heart, the cyborgs began to prepare her for her return to her own life. The thing they worried about the most was her telling her friends about them. It wasn't that they thought her friends were trouble, but in a school like that, you never knew who was on who's side, friends or not. 

"I'm sure she's happy." 003 assured 007. "She'll adjust again, I'm sure." 

"You're right." The former actor sighed. "I wonder if she'll ever get that scholarship she wanted." 

"Possibly. She's a hard worker for one so young." 006 commented. "She even helped in the kitchen." The chef sighed. "I'm going to miss her constant questions about my cooking." 

"I'm going to miss how she was always showing me how good she was with dancing." 003 replied. "I showed her some moves too." 

"Remember when we went to London? She was reciting all kinds of Shakespeare. That girl was meant to be on stage. Not in some laboratory." 007 remarked. 

"Well, with all the mush that Dr. Baker filled her head with, Carla doesn't really know who she's supposed to be." 004 put in. He, too, was missing the young child. Carla had more knowledge about machinery than anyone knew. Except for 004 of course. He'd help fuel her mind, by teaching her proper math skills. "I've a feeling we'll be seeing her again. It's only a matter of time." He walked out of the parlor before his team could ask what he meant. 

At the Academy, Carla was fighting a new homesickness. She desperately missed the cyborgs that had become her family. To make it worse, there was a buzz going on around the establishment that the Black Ghost Organization was the school's new sponsor. This was disturbing news for her indeed. She tried not to get too involved in the conversations that seemed to crop up everywhere she went. 

The only thing that soothed her was a scholarship to dance in the local ballet school. She wished she could've written 003 about the school. It was impossible, as she knew very well. Especially with Black Ghost's spies everywhere. She had her first class in less than a week,and she could hardly wait to get away from the academy for a while. 

"Carla, are you coming?" Sarah, a new friend of hers called her out of her daydream.

"Yeah…sure." Carla followed Sarah out into the play lot. Then stopped dead in her tracks. "W-what's going on?" She was staring at two men in business suits. The same attire all of Black Ghost's spies wore. 

"Carla Baker? We've come to take you a special ballet presentation." The taller of the two men answered. 

"What's the ballet?" She challenged him, as she backed up. She didn't trust anyone anymore. The question is, how had they found her? 

"The Swan Princess." He responded, making a grab for her. 

Carla dodged, and ran back into the school. She ran all the way to the dormitories. "Okay. It's time for me to go." She breathed heavily, as the men pounded on the door. "Go away! Leave me alone!!" She screamed. She pulled out her suitcase, and looked around. This had been a mistake. She should've never come back to the academy. Perhaps to the ballet boarding school, but not the academy. She packed all of her clothes. 

"Running again? Where are you going to go?" Melissa appeared in the bathroom doorway. 

"Away from here. As fast as I can." 

"Why? You've been acting strange ever since your visit with your father." Melissa folded her arms across her chest. 

"I can't tell you. If I did, some other friends of mine could be hurt." She tried to sound apologetic. "Maybe some day, I can explain, but I won't be coming back here." 

"Can you at least tell me where you're going?" 

Carla stared at Melissa sadly, shaking her head. "All I will say is this: Be wary of Black Ghost Organization. They aren't good people." With that, Carla opened her window, and disappeared on to the Paris streets. 


	10. Chapter Ten

****

Chapter Ten

"You can have this room, Mademoiselle Baker. It's a private suite, just like you earned." The maid smiled at her. "Are you here alone?" 

"Just for now. I've to write to my guardian tonight, and tell him to meet me." Carla lied. Well, she was going to write the cyborgs, but no way in hell would she tell them to meet her. It could be too risky. She just wanted to let Joe know that she was on the run again. 

"I see. Well, then I will let you get settled. The seminar starts in two hours." With that the stocky maid left. 

It had taken the better part of a month to get to the school. It wasn't in Paris, but another French city. Now that she was finally there, Carla could relax, and not have to worry about Black Ghost for a while. Being there made her feel like she was on top of the world. This was her time to shine, and that's what she intended to do. 

"Lunch is served at twelve o'clock sharp. It will last until twelve thirty, and no later. Supper and recreational time starts at six thirty. A light snack and then Dorm time follow this. At this time, you will be required to study and complete all assignments for school the next day. My advice, girls, is to start your homework before dinner. There will be a lot of it, and little time to do it. That is all. Please report to your dorms in preparation for tomorrow's first class." 

As Carla stood up to return to her suite, a tall girl bumped into her. "Hey!"

"Excuse me." The girl smiled down at her kindly. "I didn't see you." 

"It's alright. No one ever does. My name's Carla." 

"I'm Frances. It's nice to meet you." 

"You too." Carla smiled. "Do you want to walk back with me?" 

"Uh…sure. My dorm is on Parlor Hall. What about you?" 

"I'm here on scholarship. Mine is on Brecken Hall. It's really more of a suite." 

"Cool! Do you think I can come see it?" Frances' eyes lit up in excitement. 

"Sure. Come on." Carla let out a contented sigh. Her first night there

and she already had a new friend. "Have you been dancing long?" 

"Since I was three. My mother was a prima ballerina." Frances replied softly. 

"I've been dancing for five years. I'm eleven now." Carla opened the door to the suite. "I'm still organizing it, but here it is. "

"Wow! This is really neat. You have a playroom and everything!" Frances was in her seventh heaven. 

"Do you like Chopin? Some friends of mine got a record of his music for me. We can listen to it." 

"Sure. But don't forget. Lights out at nine tonight." Frances reminded her. 

"Don't worry, I won't forget. It was the same at my old school." Carla stated, as she fiddled with the record player. "I used to go to a science academy. I had to leave though." 

"Why? Did you get into trouble or something?" 

"Sort of." Carla replied, not wanting to get into it. "I noticed that there are middle school, and high school kids here." 

"Oh yeah. They mix the ballet class, but we'll have different levels of academic classes." Frances told her. "What's your favorite ballet?" 

"Hmm….Swan Lake. The costumes are always so beautiful." Carla twirled to the music on the record player. 

"Mine's Coppelia. It's something like Pinnochio, without the fairy and long nose." 

"Sounds cool!" Carla smiled. "Maybe we'll get to be in one of our favorite ballets." 

"That would be cool. " Frances gasped then, looking at the clock. "Oh no! It's almost lights out. Listen, I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" 

"Alright. Good night, Frances." 

" 'night Carla." The girl left the room, silently. 

Back at the Science Academy, Melissa and Jordan were gawking at Carla's old notebooks. She'd been writing all about nine cyborgs. The same nine that these people from Black Ghost wanted. Jordan wanted to report it to Black Ghost immediately, but Melissa was firm. "No. We can't sell out best friend out. Besides, maybe Black Ghost isn't as good as we think. " Melissa was reading the notebook entries. "001 seemed to be one of her best friends. He's a baby cyborg." 

"A baby cyborg? How cruel!" Jordan scowled. "If Black Ghost did create those, he IS vile. Is there an address?" 

"An address for where?" Melissa asked, as she read over and entry about cyborg 006's tuna surprise. 

"To where the cyborgs live. This would probably be safer in their hands, since we don't know where Carla went." 

"We do know. Carla went to her new school." 

"Shh! Not so loud. Black Ghost has spies everywhere." Jordan looked around. "Then we should find her, before Black Ghost does." The two friends headed out of the school, but were stopped by two suited men. 

"Where do you two think you're going?" 

"Out for lunch. It IS allowed." 

"What is this?" One of the men snatched the notebooks, and began to flip through them. "Hmm….interesting lunch topic you two were planning." He handed the books to his partner,grabbing Jordan's arm. "You're both going to have to come with us." The other man grabbed Melissa. 

"Hey! Let go of us!" Jordan protested. 

"Sorry, kid. You did this to yourselves. " They were then forced to inhale chloroform, and taken to a base in central Paris. 


	11. Chapter Eleven

****

Chapter Eleven

"Melissa! Mel! Wake up!" Jordan shook the girl vigurously. He had been awake for a little over and hour, so he wondered why Melissa was still knocked out. "Lissa…come on." 

"Mmmm…." Melissa groaned. "My head…." She sat up very slowly. "Where are we?" 

"I think this is one of Black Ghost's bases. Melissa….we've been kidnapped!" 

"No duh!" Melissa muttered. Then she gasped. "Oh no! Carla's notebooks! She's in more trouble than we are!" 

"Yeah…. You're right." Jordan agreed. 

"You're both wrong." A voice spoke up from above. 

"Who are you?!" Jordan demanded angrily. 

"I am your guard." The voice replied. "The information in those notebooks was useless." 

"Good!" Melissa piped up. "Now you can't capture her!" 

"Oh, but we can. See, the way we're thinking, one of you two knows where she is hiding. We will get the information from the source." 

"We'll never tell you anything!" Jordan sputtered, putting a comforting arm around Melissa. "Never!" 

"We shall see about that later." The guard snickered evilly. 

"That was a blast!" Carla grinned at Frances. "I've never played Tennis before." 

"I told you." Frances smiled. "I can teach you more tomorrow, after rehearsal. How are you doing here?" 

"Fantastic. It's a lot of fun here." Carla said softly. There was,however, a distant look in her eyes, as the two friends stared out over the streets. 

"Carla? Are you okay?" Frances looked at her worriedly. 

"Yeah. I'm just missing some friends of mine." Carla replied. 

"They can come visit at Friendship Day." Frances suggested. 

"Nah…. It's not safe. I want to write them, but I'm afraid of them being found out." 

"Not safe? I don't understand…." Frances began. 

"I'll tell you, because I've got to tell someone. I've been hiding the location of several "rebel" Cyborgs. They are nine humans, taken from various parts of the world against their will. The Black Ghost Organization is to blame for it. By association, I'm in danger as well. " 

Frances stared at her in awe. "That's a heavy load you bear. I don't know if I could do it, if I were you." 

"You could if these people meant the world to you. They're the only family I have left, Frances." Carla told her, before standing up. "Now you know too. Don't tell anyone, okay? It could mean the death of my best friends, or myself." 

"You've got my word, Carla. Oh! That's the dinner bell. We'd better go." 

"It's been too long! I know she can't write constantly, but it's been five months!" 

"Stop worrying,002. I'm sure she has her reasons." Dr. Gilmore consoled. 

"What reason could she possibly have? I thought for sure we would've heard if she had a scholarship by now!" 002 retorted. "I thought she would at least have the decency to say she was going to a different school!" 

"Maybe something happened,and it's not safe for her to contact us. Carla might be young, but after her time with us, she's not stupid. She could be doing it to protect us." 001 remarked from his place in 003's lap. The baby cyborg was worried as well, but he knew Carla had her reasons. "We should be more worried about batting down the hatches. There's a hurricane coming." 

"You're right,of course." Dr. Gilmore told the baby. "I'm sure 006 already has the food packed away for the Dolphin." 

"You short order cook! There's no need for ten pounds of rice on the sub!" 007 exclaimed as 006 came chasing after him. "There's only ten of us. Carla doesn't live with us anymore." As soon as he said it, 007 was sorry. 

"You don't have to remind _me_ 007. I'm more aware of than anyone, except maybe 001 over there. She was supposed to be my apprentice chef. " 006 sighed. "I wonder what's become of her. I wish she would write us soon." 

"We all do." 009 piped up, as he, 004 and 008 walked into the house. "We all miss her." 

"Right. Carla was a part of us for a while. She's gone her own way now. We have to accept that, so we can move on with our lives too." 005 said softly.

"It's not going to be easy, but Kazumi is also watching for letters for us. If she does write, we will be notified." Dr. Gilmore told them. "Let's head out." 

"I still don't like it." 001 said suddenly. "Something is terribly wrong." 

"What do you mean? Do you feel something?" 009 asked. 

"Yes. Something is happening that will change Carla's life forever. Black Ghost has captured two of her friends. My only guess is that they found something that pertained to us or Carla herself." 

"Oh no!" 003 gasped. "That poor girl will be caught again!" 

"Well, what are we waiting for?! Let's go get her before they do!" 002 demanded. "We can't let them have her again." 

"We can't just rush in. We don't know where she is to begin with. 003, do you have the name of the ballet school she applied to?" 

"Uh…mhmm." 003 got up,and went to the hutch, that enclosed all the letters Carla had sent them so far. "Here it is! Le Ballet de Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux." 003 closed her with a sigh. "That's the school I was supposed to attend." 

"If we want her to keep attending it, we're going to have to keep her away from Black Ghost first." 001 said not insensitively. 

"Right! We might as well hire an instructor for her. As long as she keeps opening her mouth about us,we'll be saving her can." 002 remarked. 

"I do not think she meant for her friends to find out, 002. You have to remember, the girl is only a child. Accidents happen like this all the time. It is a miracle that just two know." Dr. Gilmore chided. "008. We will head towards France. If we can head them off before they get to her, then we will be lucky." 

008 nodded. "All right. Come on, everyone. Let's go get our Carla back." 


	12. Chapter Twelve

****

Chapter Twelve

"Please! Don't hurt me anymore!" Melissa flinched as another shock went through her.

"Where did she go?" Her captor asked again. 

"I already told you. I don't know!" Melissa cried in pain. Four days had gone by. Every day, Black Ghost's assistants had asked Jordan and her the same question. Melissa wasn't lying when she said she didn't know where Carla was. She only suspected that the girl had gone to the ballet boarding academy. Of course, she wouldn't tell them that. Jordan was keeping his silence as well. 

"Whether you tell us or not doesn't matter. We will find her. Then she will tell us where the rebel cyborgs are. "

"Don't count on it, Garlic Breath!" Jordan retorted. "If she wouldn't even tell us, her best friends, she sure as heck won't tell you!" 

"Very well." He nodded to someone, and the two children were taken away to their separate cells. He looked to the lone scientist who was being made to watch. "Well, Dr. Baker. It seems your so-called daughter is more elusive than we imagined." 

"She will not be caught. She is very intelligent little girl." Baker spat. "And if she truly is friends with the rebel cyborgs, she is the better for it. 

"Or just stupid for it. She's put herself into even more danger by associating with them. " He left Baker tied up where he was, and went to see if any of his associates had found Carla yet. 

"What are you guys doing here?!" Carla stared at Francoise and Joe.

"We've come to take you away from here. Two of your friends have been taken captive." Francoise explained. 

"I can't go! They're doing auditions for Swan Lake!" Carla stared at her two unofficial guardians. "Please don't make me go, Francoise! You know how much this means to me!" 

003 sighed deeply. Of course she knew how important it was to her. "I'm really sorry, Sweetheart….."

"No! I won't leave! You can't make me!" Carla ran back into the school. 

"That went well….." 009 sighed. 

"She's so happy here, 009. Do we have to do this?" 003 could sympathize with Carla's longing. 

"You know what will happen if Black Ghost gets their hands on her! We can't risk it." 009 replied firmly. "Get Professor Gilmore. We're going to have to do some fast talking to get her out of that school. " 

"Alright." 003 walked back to the Dolphin while 009 waited patiently. 

"You're one of them! I knew you looked familiar!" 

009 turned around to see a tall girl,with brown hair and green eyes. "Excuse me?"

"You're one of Carla's rebel friends. A cyborg!" 

"And who are you?" 009's voice was sharp with agitation. Maybe 002 had been right. Carla didn't know how to keep her mouth shut.

"I'm Frances. Carla's missed you all so much. But she said you wouldn't be able to visit." 

"We're not supposed to be here, she's right about that. We came to remove her from harm." 009 replied coldly. "And appearently, we came too late to keep her from talking." 

"She needed to tell someone. She's young yet. Don't worry,I haven't uttered a word. It's been four months since she told me." Frances defended her young friend. "Actually,I'm honored to finally meet you." 

009 was immediately sorry for his reaction to Frances. "Um….well…thanks. The others are in the Dolphin around back.." 

"Actually, we're right here." 007 piped up from behind them. 

"Ah!" Frances stared at them in awe. "Wow…this is so neat." 

"I'm 007, but you can call me GB." 007 extended a hand for the girl to shake.

"I'm Frances. You can call me Frannie. Carla's told me so much about you all. Especially 001 and 006." 

"What did she say about me? Did she tell you I was a great cook?" The chef wanted to know. 

"Yes, I did." Carla had returned, with her bags. 

"You're not really going, are you? You're a shoo in to play Oddette!" Frances stared at her young friend sadly. 

"I have to go, or I'll be putting everyone here in jeopardy." The twelve-year-old replied softly. She turned to her friends. "I….I failed you." 

"No, Sweetie. You did better than any of us could've guessed." 008 replied, taking one of her bags. 

"Five months, and only three people know." Dr. Gilmore said. "That's not bad." 

"Who is it that Black Ghost took?" Carla asked, remembering Francoise's statement. 

"Your friends from the Science Academy. Jordan and Melissa." Albert told her. 

"Oh no!" Carla exclaimed. "We have to go after them!" 

"I'm afraid that might be impossible." Gilmore replied. "You see, we know they're taken, but we don't know where." 

"We have to find them!" Carla insisted. 

"Calm down. Let's get you to safety first." Joe said soothingly. "Then we will see about your friends." 

"Alright….." She turned to follow Albert and Chang on to the Dolphin. 

Joe nodded, then turned to Frances. "You'll have to come with us." 

"Me?! No,I can't go, but you can rest assured your secret is safe with me." Frances said. 

"I'm afraid, you haven't a choice in the matter." Jet replied, coming up, and grabbing her arm firmly, but not hurting her. "We can't leave any evidence that we've been here." He pulled Frances along to the Dolphin. "It's really not as big as it looks." He added to her, when he saw her shiver. 

"I hate flying." Frances muttered, as he helped her aboard.

"You're perfectly safe with us." Jet told her kindly. "Take a seat for now. Once we're in the air, you're free to look around." 

Frances looked over at Carla, who was talking quietly to a baby. She guessed the baby was 001. "Looks like we're going to be together…" 

"Cool!" Carla grinned at her friend, before returning to her talk with Baby Ivan. "I missed you so much."

"I've missed you too, Big Sister." Ivan replied,clutching her finger tightly. "Don't leave again." 

"I don't think I will. At least until I'm older." Carla knew somehow that she probably wouldn't leave them again for a long time. 

****


	13. Chapter Thirteen

****

Chapter Thirteen

"Damn! They beat us to her again!" Scarl gave a groan. "This is getting ridiculous!" He slammed his fist on the console. 

"We're sorry Sir. We've failed you again." His servant, Ramone said. 

"It will be your last failure,won't it, Ramone? Bring me the kiddies!" 

"They've already told you! They don't know where the rebels hide! Let them go!" Dr. Baker struggled in his imprisonment. 

"I do not think so. They will be instrumental in making her talk." Scarl glared at him. "You do not honestly believe she'd have her human friends killed for cybernetic freaks." 

"It's not right to make her choose!" Baker retorted. "She obviously cares a lot for these rebels, or she would've come to us willingly. " 

"We shall see….we shall see." Scarl left now, and locked the door. 

*****************************************************************************************

"This place is great!" Frances exclaimed. So much better than the Academy. Now I understand why it was so hard for you to leave before, Carla." 

The younger girl smiled. "Yeah…." She followed Chang into the kitchen. "I don't suppose you still need an apprentice….." 

"Of course I do!" The chef smiled at her, touching her arm. "Come! I'll show you what I'm cooking tonight." 

The girl followed him with a gentle smile. The stove was full of its usual pots and pans. "What is it?" 

"Rice and Fish Casserole." He told her, lifting a lid for her to look. "It's missing something though. Can you tell me what it is?" He was hoping she'd retained some of the information he'd taught her before." 

"Seafood seasoning." She supplied him with the answer he wanted. 

"Very good." He grinned, adding the named seasoning. "Here now. You should go spend sometime with 001 and your friend. She's got to be a little uncomfortable right now." Chang ushered her out of the kitchen. 

"Hmm….." She stared at the kitchen door, before returning to the living room. "He's up to something." She told Ivan, as she picked him up out of the basket.

"That doesn't surprise me. He tends to cook a lot more when he's worried about something." The baby cyborg looked up at her through his mop of blue hair. "We've all been worried about you. When I got word of your friends' capture we thought we'd never see you again." 

"If by some chance Melissa found ……oh no! My journals!" She gasped. "I can't believe I left them there for the world to find!" 

"What was in them?" Jet asked her, suspiciously. 

"Just……stories….letters." She told him. "Nothing revealing your location." 

"What kind of stories?" Francoise asked. 

"Just stuff that I've written over the months I was there. I wrote a nice one about my rescue. " She smiled, obviously proud of herself. "I was going to enter it in a writing contest, but I thought better of it." 

"I'm glad you did." Jet told her sharply. "You shouldn't have been writing anything about us at all!" 

"Cool it, Jet. She didn't mean any harm by it…. She was probably lonely." Puyunma defended the little girl. "At least she was smart enough to keep our whereabouts off her journal pages." He rumpled Carla's hair. 

Carla frowned at Jet. After all this time, he still didn't trust her. What did she have to do to prove herself to him? "I'm sorry, Jet…" 

"Yeah…..okay." The red headed cyborg stepped outside. 

"Is he always like that?" Frances asked. 

"Pretty much. It's mostly worry that does it to him." Ivan told her. He looked up at his friend Carla now. "Don't let him bother you. We all know how hard it's been for you. For your part, you've done well." 

"I know, but I feel like I'm always letting him down. I do my best, but it's never good enough." 

"It's good enough for us." Joe told her. "That's all that matters." He smiled at her reassuringly. "We're just glad you're safe." 

"I wish we could say the same for your friends." Professor Gilmore spoke up now. He'd been playing a game with Kazumi, and had walked into the living room when the argument erupted. "With no way of knowing which base they're in, we can't even attempt a rescue mission." 

"I know….." Carla had been trying to keep her mind off of Melissa and Jordan. "I hope they're all right." 

"There is no telling." Gilmore told her. 

Carla knew he was telling the truth, but she didn't want to believe it. She wanted her "family" to say they were going to try everything in their power to get her friends back. "What can we do to help them?" She asked instead of arguing that case. 

"I'm afraid there is very little we can do, aside from hoping some clues to their whereabouts crop up." Joe told her softly, his heart breaking for her. "That, and keep you out of harm's way." 

"That goes for you too." Gilmore told Frances. "If Black Ghost found another one of her friends,especially one who has been here, it would be chaotic for everyone involved." 

"Yes sir." Frances agreed. "Don't worry. I'll stay here." 

"Then it is all good for now." Puyunma told the room in general. 

"Yes." Junior replied. "I think so. Let's just keep our guard up." 

"Agreed." Joe said, as he walked into the kitchen to help Chang set the table. 

Carla silently agreed with them all, though she didn't say it. She was tired of running in fear. She wondered if it would ever end. "I'm not really hungry. I think I'm just going to go to sleep for a while." She stood up, and walked upstairs to her old room, and laid down on the soft, clean sheets. _It might be okay for now, but how long do they think it will take for Black Ghost to figure out I'm gone again? Not very long I expect, and of course they know where Kazumi lives. If all else fails, they'll come here, and ruin more innocent lives._ With those thoughts, Carla fell asleep, in her first fitful sleep in a long time. 


	14. Chapter Fourteen

****

Chapter Fourteen

"Melissa, I think I can get us out. " Jordan had been studying their new cell. 

"Oh? And where do you think we're gonna go? In case you didn't notice, we're not in France anymore, Toto." The older of the two scowled at him. "They're going to kill us, you know." 

"They can't. They need us to get Carla to talk." Jordan replied. "I heard that guy Morris say so." 

"She won't rat the cyborgs out. She loves them." Melissa told him. "And Morris also said he would kill us if she didn't." 

"Exactly! They're plans can't work without us though." Jordan stood up on his bunk, and tugged at the vent. 

Melissa yanked him down. "Are you nuts?! They'll use that tranquilizer stuff on us again!" She looked out into the hall fearfully. "Jordan, we don't know what we're dealing with it. We'll just have to wait." 

"I'm not waiting around to be bait. It's not right to make Carla choose." Jordan stood up on his bunk again,and tugged the vent off. He pulled himself into the duct, then looked down at Melissa. "Come on,Lissa. We're not going to be helping her any if we stay where they tell us." He held out his hand. "Come on." 

Melissa looked around then sighed. "Alright." She let him pull her up into the vent. 

******************************************************************************************

"Ivan,wake up! Please, you've got to wake up, it's important!" Carla shook the baby gently. 

The baby cyborg squirmed. "What is it?" 

"I had a vision. My friends are in Tokyo!" Carla looked up to see that the other eight cyborgs and Professor Gilmore were in her room now. 

"What in the world are you going on about, Carla?" Gilmore reguarded her sternly.

"I'm sorry I woke you all. I only wanted to talk to Ivan." Carla replied sheepishly.

"Well, we're all up now. So spill." Jet replied angrily. 

"I know which base it is." Carla said quietly. "Jordan and Melissa are in the Tokyo base."

"The Tokyo base? Are you sure?" Ivan asked. 

"Yes, I'm sure. I saw them." Carla was shivering, yet the rest of her felt very hot. 

"Oh! You look so cold." Francoise came to her side, to tuck her back into bed. "Carla, you're burning up!" 

"Is she getting sick?" Joe stepped forward now. "This is not the time for that…." 

"If she's sick, she's sick." Albert spoke up. "Children tend to get sick a lot." 

Carla shook her head. "It happens all the time after I've had a vision. I'm weak for a couple of days, then I'm alright." 

"All the time….as in, this has happened before?" Jet stared at her, incredulously. 

"Yes. All those times I didn't eat. It was because of that." Carla lowered her eyes. 

"And you didn't tell us?! Carla, you shouldn't keep things like that from us!" Jet exploded. "That could be why Black Ghost wants you so badly!" 

"I knew." Ivan spoke up now. "That's why Carla and I are so close. We're a lot a like." 

"Still! The rest of us have a right to know!" Jet raged. 

"Calm yourself, 002. She had a right to tell whomever she chose." Gilmore said quietly. "And now that we all know, we know how to handle it." He turned to walk out. "I suggest we all go back to sleep, and discuss this further in the morning."

"I'll get you something for your fever, Sweetie." Francoise said gently, and walked out to do so. 

Carla held the baby in her arms, crying softly. "I…I don't want to wait for them, Ivan. I want to know they're safe!" 

"Shh…" Ivan put her fingers in his fist, in a comforting gesture. "First thing in the morning, we'll go look for them, okay? You're going to have to stay here and rest." 

"No! I'm going too." 

"Don't be stupid. " Joe scolded. "You're too weak to go anywhere, and the last thing you need is to deal with Black Ghost right now." 

"They're right." Francoise handed her a cup of water, and two aspirins. These will help your fever. I want you to stay in bed tomorrow. " 

Carla sighed in resignation. "Fine. But you will keep me updated about Jordie and Mel, right?" 

"Of course." Joe kissed her forehead. "You'll keep her company,won't you, Ivan?" 

"Of course." The psychic baby put himself back to bed. "Sleep well, Carla." 

"I'll try, Ivan." The girl curled up in her covers, and fell asleep,to let the medicine work. 


	15. Chapter Fifteen

****

Chapter Fifteen

The next morning, eight of the nine cyborgs prepared to leave for Black Ghost's base in Tokyo. Carla watched them anxiously. "You'll be careful, won't you?" She asked Francoise. 

"Of course we will." Francoise replied reassuringly. "We'll be back before you know it." She closed her suitcase,looking up at Carla. "Are you okay?" The girl looked really really sad. 

"I…yes. I'm fine." She left Francoise room to find Ivan. 

"Did you see that look on her face? She's really scared." Joe told Francoise.

"I know. I just want this to all end for her. It's terrible." Francoise sighed. "It's because of us this is happening." The female cyborg headed downstairs.

"No. It's because of Black Ghost. We can't blame ourselves for this, 003. All we can do is prevent them from hurting her." 009 stated, looking up at the others as they got to the bottom of the stairs. "We owe her that much for her trouble, and we will get her friends out alive." 

"Mmhmm!" 006 agreed firmly. 

"Come on. We're wasting time." 002 prodded. "We'll be back as soon as we can, Professor." 

"Be careful, all of you." The doctor replied, before going back inside to Carla, Frances and 001. "Well, it's just us now. Kazumi went into town for a while." 

"Hey, Carla, what was that game Kazumi was teaching you?" Frances looked up at her questioningly. "It looked like fun." 

"Oh….it's a lot like Chess,I think." Carla went and got Kazumi's game set, and the two girls began to play.

Professor Gilmore watched with amusement, glad they were content to stay indoors, rather insisting on exploring the island on which the manor sat. "Ah…it's so peaceful, isn't it, 001?" 

"Indeed. I'm worried about Carla though. Her visions are getting worse. The poor girl could barely get out of bed this morning." 

"I agree, 001. We'll have to help her nurture her gift." Professor Gilmore looked over at Carla, who was explaining a broken rule to Frances. "She seems to be fine now. Let's just wait and see what happens." 

The baby nodded. "Right. She's happy right now." 

*******************************************************************************************

"Jordan!" Melissa hissed in the darkness of the their current position in an air duct. "They're looking for us!" 

"I know that, Melissa! Come on." Jordan touched her sleeve. "We're going to get something for Carla too." 

"What?! No, let's just get if we can, Jordie. It's too risky!" Melissa whispered in exasperation. "Besides, what could Carla possibly want from here?" 

"The truth." Jordan responded, as he rounded another corner of the duct. He studied the vent he was knelt over. "Here! This is where that Doctor Baker's office is." 

"No! Jordan, I am not going down there!" Melissa glared at him in the minimal light the office below offered. 

"Fine. Stay here." The boy kicked the vent in, and lowered himself on to the desk below. "Wow. This place is bigger than I thought!"

"That's great, Jordan. Now let's go!" Melissa was getting a bad feeling. 

"No. I know this is where her file is. It has to be!" Jordan began rummaging through the drawers. 

"Jordan!" Melissa moaned. Suddenly, she gasped. "Jordan! They're coming! Let's go!" 

"Not without that file!" Jordan replied, then he stopped dead, whirling on the door of the office. "Uh oh…Melissa, you keep going! Now!" 

"No! I won't leave you here!" Melissa felt tears beginning to threaten. They shouldn't have been in the base to begin with. Suddenly, she was angry at Carla for everything! 

"Now!" Jordan ordered, fiercely. He climbed up to look at his friend, as the lock on the door turned. "Please,Mellie. Remember that we're doing this for Carla. We've got to stay out of capture." 

"It's not right! They'll surely kill you for snooping!" Melissa said through her blinding tears. 

"Take this. And this. It's a map to the Rebels' number one hiding place. Baker must've been trying to conceal any possible locations Carla would be in." Jordan laid two folders in Melissa's lap. "Now get out of here. Don't worry about me!" 

Just then, the door opened, and several guards walked in. "There's one of them!" The lead guard grabbed Jordan's ankle, and yanked him down hard. "You're in a world of trouble, Boy! But the boss might spare you if you will tell us the location of your girlfriend." 

"Never! And she's not my girlfriend!"Jordan spat on his captor, and ran out the door, and down the corridor. 

Melissa watched a minute longer, before fleeing with the map and file in her teeth. 

*******************************************************************************************

"Looks like they're having trouble even without us." 004 commented, as the eight cyborgs approached the base.

"Oh well. We've to find Jordan and Melissa. That's going to take a lot of time." 009 replied. 

"Or not…Look!" 007 pointed to something in the distance. "That's gotta be Melissa."

"I think you're right!" 009 ran to greet the terrified girl. "Are you Melissa?" 

The girl stopped running, and looked at him. "Joe Shimamura. Also known as 009." She said softly. "You're Carla's unofficial guardian!" 

"I'll take that as yes, and explain later." 009 countered, and picked her up. "Where's Jordan?" 

"He's a moron. He went into one of their offices, and dug out some things for Carla, and now he's caught again." Melissa explained as 009 led her to the others. "He's going to be killed for snooping." 

"Not on our watch he won't." 007 said, smiling kindly at Melissa. "Hello." 

"Hi……where's Carla? Is she safe?" 

"Oh, she quite safe. She's at Kazumi's." 008 assured. "Come. You must be exhausted after that ordeal. " 

"I…." Melissa wasn't really sure what she was at the moment, but she was sure tired wasn't one of them. "Okay." She agreed finally. 

"I'll take her to the Dolphin and stay with her." 003 spoke up now, her eyes full of sympathy. 

"Good idea, 003. Come on, you guys. We've to find Jordan now!" 009 exclaimed, as he led the others on towards the base's core entrance. 


	16. Chapter Sixteen

****

Chapter Sixteen

Jordan crashed into another set of steel doors. Behind him, his pursuers kept up well. _ Oh man….I might not make it out of this alive! But it's all worth it, if Melissa got away. _He zipped around a corner, hoping to lose the guards. He watched as the group continued straight on. He looked around, then smirked, seeing an ax in a fire case. "Perfect!" He said aloud, as he struggled to open the case. "I'd like to see them get through me now!"

"Here's your chance, you brat!" 

Jordan whirled around, face to face with Scarl. "You want me?! Come and get me!" He took off down another corridor. He clutched the ax tightly in his hands, as he kept running. 

"Hey, Kid! Over here!" An unfamiliar voice called suddenly. 

"Wh-who are you? A-are you Black Ghost? I'll tear you apart!" Jordan raised his ax, but he was grabbed around his middle, a hand covering his mouth.

"Don't make another sound, alright? We're on your side." 

Jordan nodded, stiffly, as his captor turned him to look at him. He was not alone. There were six others with him. "T-the R-rebel cyborgs……" 

"Yep. I'm 002." The cyborg that had grabbed him said in a whisper. "We've got your friend Melissa out in the Dolphin already, but we promised Carla we'd get you both out. " 

"Come with us, okay? There is no more that Carla needs from here." Another cyborg told him. "I'm 009. You probably know me better as Joe Shimamura." 

Jordan was gawking. He couldn't believe he was meeting the famous Joe Shimamura in person. "She wrote so much about you…" He said finally, as they started to lead him out. 

"Did she? Hmm…." 007 smiled a little. "Ah! There's our escape route now." He and two others behind him walked ahead of them to assure their exit. 

"She's terribly worried about you and Melissa. She's sorry for what happened." 004 told Jordan, as he pushed him up ahead of him. 

"I know she is." Jordan replied softly.

"Hold on! They've got a crossfire going on outside!" 006 said suddenly. He peered out again. "They've got the Dolphin surrounded!" 

"003!" 009 shoved 006 aside, and stepped outside. "Francoise!" He yelled over the commotion of the shooting tanks. 

"Joe! We're all right, but Melissa's hit!" 

"WHAT?!" Jordan pushed past the restraining cyborgs. "You said she was safe!" He glared at 009 accusingly. 

"I didn't know they were firing out here, I'm sorry…." 009 hit the switch in his back tooth,and went into acceleration mode. He appeared a minute later next to 003. "Where is she? We have Jordan, and he'd not too happy right now." 

"She's in the infirmary. I gave her something for the pain. 009,this is getting dangerous!"

"Yeah, I know. We'll be okay though." He turned to go for Jordan, but then he saw that 002 had him already. "See? We're getting out of here now." 

"Good." 003 smiled kindly at Jordan when 002 brought them to the ground. "Hi there." 

"Where's Melissa?! Is okay?!" Jordan was too worried about his friend to care much about formalities. 

"She's resting right now." 003 told him. "Come on. I'll take you to her." With that, the female cyborg led him into the Dolphin, and to the infirmary. 

"Nice kid, that Jordan…." 004 commented dryly. 

"Don't worry about it, 004. He's just concerned about his friend. They've been through a lot of things together." 006 replied, as he led the remaining cyborgs on to the ship. 

***************************************************************************************

"Stop pacing, Carla. You're making me nervous!" Frances exclaimed. 

"I can't help it. I'm just so afraid something's going to go wrong. " 

"Carla, come sit and hold me. It'll make you more secure." Ivan suggested. In truth, he was worried too, but the baby cyborg was more worried about Carla's special gift reactivating itself if she worried too much. "Come." He insisted gently. 

Carla complied, if only to humor the infant. She cradled him close to her. "Ivan…I don't want to go back to school." 

"No? Why not?" The baby looked up at his friend now. 

"I could've gotten a whole bunch of people killed, and not even on purpose. The only reason Black Ghost took an interest in the Academy was because I was there." The girl sighed sadly, burying her face in Ivan's hair. "I could've gotten you killed too." 

"If that's what you truly want, you don't have to go back. Professor Gilmore would be happy to home school you." 

"That would be fun. Besides, 004 and I are still working on a little pod for me." Carla told him, brightening up a little. 

"Yes, I remember." Ivan giggled a little. "You're going to pilot the Mini-Dolphin." 

"I can hardly wait!" The girl replied excitedly. 

"Someone's coming! Maybe it's them!" Frances jumped up suddenly. 

"Hold on. Around here, we never run for the door. It could be the enemy too." Dr. Gilmore told her, going to check by himself. "In this case, it is them." 

"I knew it!" Frances grinned at Carla. "They're okay!"

***************************************************************************************

"It was really close." Joe told Carla later. "Jordan was almost caught again." 

"Yeah." Jordan muttered. 

"You're such an idiot, you know that, Jordie?! You could've gotten killed, I was so worried!" Melissa raged for a third time. The young girl was having a hard time coping with her friend's near death experience. 

"I'm fine,Mellie. I didn't mean to worry you, but it was something I felt Carla deserved." He looked over at Carla now. She was looking through the file folder silently. "She's the one we should be worrying about." 

Joe knelt in front of Carla now. "Are you okay, Sweetie?" 

"H-how can they have all this information on me, Joe? Where did they get it all?" 

"There's no telling. Is there anything in there about your parents?" 

"Y-yes….their names were Marie and Jim Shank. They died in a house fire two months after I was born. The police suspected arson, but no suspects were ever found." 

"I'm sorry, Honey…." Joe pulled the girl into a hug, as she began to cry. "It'll be okay. You can live with us from now on." 

"M-my mother was a dancer….." She said softly through her tears. "Dad was into theater." 

"That explains a lot, doesn't it?" GB commented. 

"Yes…it does. Those things are in my blood. Science was not." Carla looked up at the cyborgs now. "I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused you. I know all you wanted was to get away from them." 

"This was not your doing, Child." Dr. Gilmore replied. "Black Ghost would've eventually come after us again with or without you." 

"That's right. We never blamed you for this." Jet confirmed. "Besides that, we want you to stay with us." 

"Then I will." Carla said with a note of finality. "What about Melissa, Jordie and Frances?" 

"We're staying too." Frances replied. 

"That's what I was going to say." Melissa agreed with a nod. "We're in this together now." She looked over at Jordan. "Right, Jordan?" 

"Of course. I still want a whack at those creeps for shooting you!" 

The cyborgs laughed now. Jet put a hand on his shoulder. "I can assure you. You will have your chance." 

Carla looked around at her family, in satisfaction. She closed the file folder, and put it in Professor Gilmore's desk. Then she stood up, and followed Chang into the kitchen. "I'm glad things will get back to normal now." 

"As normal as they can be for us, you mean." Chang replied with a smile. "Now, where did I put my paprika?" 

Carla giggled, and found it for him. Yes, things were certainly going to be interesting for a while. And she knew adventure was not too far from her mind either. It would be an interesting childhood with the cyborgs, but fun at the same time. Just as any childhood should be. 

****

(A/n:And that's the end of The Ties That Bind thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed. You're all great!) 


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